Tulips are loved in France, Denmark, Belgium, but the Netherlands surpasses them all. At the beginning of the 17th century, the country of tulips was overrun by a real "tulip". By this time, many new colors and shapes had already been created. Every breeder strives to create their own, unique tulip, and the prices of bulbs are fabulous - sometimes many times exceed their weight in gold. Nowadays people continue to appreciate the beauty of this stunning flower. Not only that, but many have gained interest in growing tulips themselves and we will help you with that!
When and How to Plant Tulips Bulbs
Tulip bulbs are planted in autumn, when the average daily temperature drops. However, the right place for these flowers is somewhere sunny, with well-drained, light, neutral soil, rich in nutrients.
Before planting, the bulbs are sorted and the sick and injured are separated. Disinfection with appropriate preparations is a guarantee for healthy plants. Pre-open furrows, which are covered with soil from the next furrow. Depth of planting depends on the mechanical composition of the soil, as well as the type and size of the bulbs. Smaller ones are planted shallower and larger ones are planted deeper. There is an unwritten rule that the depth of planting should be equal to 2-3 times the diameter of the bulb. The same goes for the distances between them. It is recommended to mulch the beds after planting with straw or peat. This protects the bulbs from freezing and drying out in the autumn when they take root. On very heavy clay soils the tulip does not grow well and in such cases coarse river sand or perlite must be imported.
Planting Tulips in The Spring
The right time to plant tulips is in the fall, but if for some reason you forgot to do it then, you can plant the bulbs in the spring - in March. There are two options for spring planting of tulips:
- Option 1 - planting fully ripe bulbs - so you will be able to enjoy blooming tulips this spring, but this option requires little extra effort.
- Option 2 - planting bulbs by the traditional method, in which the plants will bloom next year.
Tulips planted in the spring will bloom a little later and less abundantly than plants planted in the fall, but this also has its advantages - so you will enjoy the color in the garden bed longer. Planting the bulbs in the spring is done as early as possible when the weather allows. The best option is to plant the bulbs in containers at the end of winter and transfer them to a permanent place when it warms up.
Taking Care of Your Tulips
Due to the specific structure of the root system of tulips, it is not able to extract moisture from the peripheral areas, it is important to maintain soil moisture through irrigation. Start watering for a week before flowering.
The frequency of subsequent irrigation depends on weather conditions and soil moisture. When caring for tulips in the garden one should remember that it should be moist not only the surface layer of the earth, but the entire layer of depth of root penetration. Each watering consumes 2 to 5 buckets of water per square foot.
When maintaining the required humidity mode, the colored stem is increased, the colors are formed larger and increase their flowering time, and faster accumulates mass of bulbs and the food accumulates more intensively in them.Stop watering in 3 weeks after flowering.
Finally, from ancient times the people believed in the sacred power of plants. That is why there are many myths and legends about flowers. Some of them are accepted as symbols, talismans or amulets. In many countries around the world, the tulip is a symbol of love and happiness. Not only that, but also in the language of flowers, red tulips, presented as a gift, are considered as a declaration of passionate love. So, if you want to share these feelings of yours with someone else, just hand them a
bouquet of tulips that are freshly picked!
